Editor’s Note: To follow, I think, is a very important look at Ted Trainer’s work — one that broaches an oft-avoided but critically essential conversation. I must confess to only having read a single article from Ted Trainer previously, which I posted here, but from that article, and the document below, I sense that similar thought processes in my own experience, and Ted’s, have led to the similar conclusions. Some of my thoughts along similar lines are evidenced here, here, here, here, here, here and here, as a few of many examples. In short, permaculture must be taken to mean ‘permanent culture’, and not just ‘permanent agriculture’ (as some would have it, as evidenced by the wrath I endure whenever we discuss economics and politics on this site…). And, for those interested, in regards to the ‘debate’ between Ted, Rob Hopkins and Brian Davey (see section 6), I empathise and agree with each perspective, as it happens. For me they’re all different sides of the same form, but none of the points raised eliminate the need for a systemic rework of socio-economic political systems. Rather, Rob and Brian’s perspective just emphasise how much work we have to do to get people on board and working to the same fruitful end. The final quoted passage from Theodore Roszak (bottom of article below) tells me we’ve come to similar conclusions, where he states the need for tangible living examples of happy low-tech implementations of how to live — the very purpose behind my work in creating the Worldwide Permaculture Network, to showcase and inspire people with what is possible, so permaculturists can share their own learning journey and insights into the how of it.

Great to see Ted getting a mention here....... I've known Ted for twenty years, he regularly emails me for my opinions on Renewable Energy, such as they are.... It was one of Ted's early books, "Abandon Affluence", lent to me by a fellow who is now one of my best friends, that led me "here". I might've got "here" without him, but Ted's view of the world was just too convincing and pervasive for me to do anything but change my lifestyle....

So we abandoned affluence.....

And I can't thank Ted enough, no regrets, whatsoever. I just wish I'd found out about the Simpler Way even earlier! If you can get your hands on any of Ted's books, and I suspect they may be hard to get in the US as they're not printed in huge numbers, grab it.